"I am very happy that women think I am a very charming person. However, the question of my marriage and when I will come out of bachelorhood is completely a personal question."
This was Rahul Gandhi's reply to mediapersons, who asked the Congress leader about his marriage plans. He was addressing his first press conference in Bangalore, at the end of his five-day tour of Karnataka.
Rahul termed the tour fruitful, as it gave him an opportunity to understand the people across the state.
When queried if he understood the poor, Rahul admitted that he was only trying to do so. "I come from a rich family and hence I never understood the poor. However, I am sensitive and I am doing my best to understand them," he said.
Rahul also spoke about the achievements of the United Progressive Alliance government and its various schemes. Fielding questions about inflation and price rise, Rahul said that prices must be controlled and both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Shivraj Patil were capable of handling the problem of inflation.
Dismissing rumours about a likely split in the Karnataka unit of the Congress, Rahul said that during his five-day visit, he did not find any signs of a split and the party remained united.
On choosing a chief ministerial candidate for Karnataka for the forthcoming assembly elections, Rahul said, "It is a democratic party and the legislative party committee would take care of this issue."
Rahul said that politics should not be the domain of certain influential families. "Everyone must get a chance and I am in favour of giving more and more tickets to the youth in the country," said Rahul. He also said that the people had a lot of expectations from the Congress.
Reacting to the comment by former Karanataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who claimed that Rahul was trying to emulate his village visits, Rahul said that he was only trying to understand the people. "If Kumaraswamy wants to take pleasure out of the fact that I am trying to copy him then I have no objection to it," shot back Rahul.